Ice bank and refrigerator

ABSTRACT

An ice storage capacity can adjusted according to a needed amount of ice, and a user can obtain a required amount of the ice to increase the user&#39;s convenience. For this, an ice bank is provided. The ice bank includes an external case and an internal case. The internal case is disposed inside the external case and includes an interior space in communication with an interior space of the external case. One of the external case and the internal case overlappingly moves toward the other case to vary an ice storage capacity.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an ice bank, and more particularly, to an ice bank that is installed in a refrigerator to store ice cubes made by an ice maker and the refrigerator having the same.

BACKGROUND ART

As a refrigerator becomes more larger, various devices are installed in the refrigerator. Examples of the various devices are a dispenser which can discharge water or ice to the outside without opening a door of the refrigerator and a home bar which can draw stored foods from the refrigerator without opening the door of the refrigerator.

An ice maker is installed inside a large-scale refrigerator. The ice maker makes ice cubes from supplied water. An ice bank storing the ice cubes made by the ice maker is installed at a lower portion of the ice maker. The ice bank has a hexahedron shape which is opened at a top thereof. The ice bank may put in and take out a storage space such as a freezer. Thus, the ice bank can supply the ice cubes stored in the ice bank to a user at any time.

According to the typical ice bank as described above, a size of the ice bank is fixed. Thus, if an ice bank having a large storage capacity is installed regardless of a needed amount of the ice, the ice bank occupies too much space in the freezer, thereby causing a waste of the storage space. On the contrary, if an ice bank having a small storage capacity is installed, the ice bank can't store a large amount of the ice.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

Embodiments provide an ice bank that can variably adjust ice storage capacity. Another embodiments provide a refrigerator that can adjust quantity of ice according to demands of a user. Still another embodiments provide an adjustable ice bank and a refrigerator in which interior capacity can be freely adjusted to increase user's convenience.

Technical Solution

In one embodiment, an ice bank includes: an external case; and an internal case within the external case, the internal case including an interior space in communication with an interior space of the external case, wherein one of the external case and the internal case overlappingly moves toward the other case to vary an ice storage capacity.

In another embodiment, an ice bank includes: a first case defining a first ice receiving space; and a second case defining a second ice receiving space, wherein the second case is movable into the first case, and the second ice receiving space overlaps with the first ice receiving space to vary a total ice receiving space.

In another embodiment, a refrigerator includes: a door defining a low temperature space within the refrigerator; a home bar door within the door; a home bar receiving space opened and closed by the home bar door; and an ice bank inside the home bar receiving space, wherein the ice bank comprising: an external case; and an internal case inside the external case, wherein one of the external case and the internal case is movable toward the other case to vary an ice storage capacity.

In another embodiment, a refrigerator includes: an automatic ice maker; an ice bank receiving ice made by the automatic ice maker; an ice bank capacity adjustment adjusting an interior capacity of the ice bank; and a control unit controlling the ice bank capacity adjustment and the ice maker.

In another embodiment, refrigerator includes: an ice maker; an ice bank below the ice maker, the ice bank receiving ice made by the ice maker; and an ice bank capacity adjustment adjusting an interior capacity of the ice bank to increase the capacity of the ice bank when a fully-filled state of the ice bank is detected by the ice maker.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present disclosure, an ice storage capacity can be adjusted according to a needed amount of ice to increase a user's convenience, and the user can obtain a required amount of the ice to further increase the user's convenience. For example, when a large amount of the ice is required at a time due to a party, a user can previously prepare a suitable amount of the ice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in which an ice bank is emphasized according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice bank according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ice bank according to the embodiment;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are views illustrating various states of an ice storage capacity of the ice bank according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in which an ice bank is emphasized according to an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice bank according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the refrigerator according to an embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An ice bank and a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in which an ice bank is emphasized according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice bank according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ice bank according to the embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a home bar 20 is installed in a side of a door 10 of a refrigerator. A home bar opening 21 is formed in a side of the door 10 in order to draw stored foods from the refrigerator without opening the door 10 of the refrigerator. A home bar receiving space 23 disposed in a rear surface of the door 10 is exposed through the home bar opening 21. The home bar receiving space 23 is divided from an interior space of the refrigerator by a predetermined wall.

A home bar door 25 selectively shielding the home bar opening 21 is disposed in the door 10. The home bar door 25 is hinge-coupled to a side, which is adjacent to the home bar opening 21, of the door 10 to pivotally move an upper end thereof upwardly and downwardly about a lower end thereof. When the home bar door 25 is completely opened in a front direction, a rear surface of the home bar door 25 meets at right angles with a front surface of the door 10 to establish a horizontal plane.

An ice bank 30 is installed in the rear surface of the door 10. The ice bank 30 stores ice cubes which are made by an ice maker 1 disposed in the rear surface of the door 10. The ice maker 1 passively operates. Water freezes into the ice cubes in an ice case, and the ice case is twisted by a user's hand to discharge the ice cubes into the ice bank 30. An ice maker which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,235 applied by the present applicant of the present disclosure is also applied to the ice maker 1, and descriptions for the ice maker will be quoted from that of the ice maker 1. Furthermore, a manual ice maker having different shapes may be also applied to various embodiments within scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ice bank 30 puts in and takes out the refrigerator through the home bar opening 21 of the home bar 20.

In detail, ice bank guides (not shown) are disposed on both sides of the home bar receiving space 23. Mounting ribs 31 which are mounted on the ice bank guides are disposed on upper ends of both sides of the ice bank 30. In the embodiment, the mounting ribs 31 are respectively extended from the upper ends of the sides of the ice bank 30 to the outside. The mounting ribs are integrated with the ice bank 30. However, the mounting ribs must not be integrated with the ice bank 30. The mounting ribs may be supported by the ice bank guides to move the ice bank 30 in front/rear directions, thereby realizing various designs. Rails may be disposed on the ice bank guide such that the ice bank 30 is smoothly moved in the front/rear directions.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the ice bank 30 includes an external case 32 and an internal case 33. The external case 32 has a hexahedral shape in which upper and bottom surfaces are opened. The external case 32 includes a predetermined storage space 32S in which the ice cubes are stored.

The internal case 33 has a hexahedral shape in which an upper surface is opened. The internal case 33 includes a predetermined storage space 33S in communication with the storage space 32S of the external case 32.

The internal case 33 is mounted inside of the external case 32. An outer surface of the internal case 33 is adjacent to an inner surface of the external case 32. Thus, the internal case 33 is able to relatively move in upward and downward directions relative to the external case 32. The internal case is relatively moved from a position at which the storage space 32S of the internal case 33 completely overlaps with the storage space 33S of the external case 32 to a position at which the storage space 32S of the internal case 33 is completely spaced from the storage space 33S of the external case 32.

In case that the internal case 33 is moved, the internal case 33 is hung on the external case 32 to maintain a stop position when the internal case 33 is stopped, and at the same time the internal case 33 is movable relative to the external case 32.

For this, an elastic hook is disposed in a predetermined position at which a wall of the internal case 33 faces a wall of the external case 32. A state hooked by the elastic hook is released when a force, i.e., a force at which the internal case 33 is forcedly moved by a user, is applied over a predetermined range. On the other hand, the state hooked by the elastic hook is maintained when a force, i.e., weight of the ice cubes stored therein, is applied below the predetermined range. Thus, the elastic hook is a device that restricts movement therebetween.

The elastic hook will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 2, a pair of guide channels 34 and 34′ is vertically spaced from one another inside both sides of the external case 32. A guide slot 35 is vertically disposed between the pair of guide channels 34 and 34′. The guide slot 35 guides the internal case 33 in upward and downward directions with respect to the external case 32. A plurality of hook recesses 36 at which a hook protrusion 44 to be described below is mounted and hung are disposed in the guide channel 34 on which a side of the guide slot 35 is disposed. The plurality of hook recesses 36 are spaced along a length direction.

Protruding jaws 37 horizontally protrude from inner lower ends of front and rear surfaces of the external case 32, respectively. The protruding jaws 37 prevent the internal case 33 from being separated from the external case 32 to support protrusions 46 to be described below. The protruding jaws 37 are enough to support the protrusions 46, and may be designed in various forms. For example, the protruding jaws 37 are vertically extend from the rear surface of the external case 32 into the storage space 32S thereof.

A guide rib 41 which is mounted on and guided by the guide slot 35 is respectively disposed on the outer surfaces of the both sides of the internal case 33. The guide rib 41 is mounted inside the guide slot 35, and at the same time vertically slides.

A pair of protruding arms 42 and 42′ which extends from an upper end of the guide rib 41 in an upward direction by a predetermined length is disposed at an upper portion of the guide rib 41. In fact, a cut recess 43 is disposed in an upper central portion of the guide rib 41 by a predetermined length to provide the pair of protruding arms 42 and 42′. As the cut recess 43 is disposed, the protruding arms 42 and 42′ are elastically deformable in a perpendicular direction with respect to a length direction of the guide slot 35.

The hook protrusion 44 hung to the guide channel 34 in which the plurality of hook recesses 36 are disposed protrudes from an upper portion of a side surface of the protruding arm 42. Since the hook protrusion 44 is mounted on the hook recesses 36, a movement of the guide rib 41 is limited in upward and downward directions.

In this embodiment, the guide rib 41 is formed by an injection molding. The protruding arms 42 and 42′ are elastically deformable in the perpendicular direction with respect to the length direction of the guide slot 35 due to the cut recess 43. Alternatively, the hook protrusion 44 may have a plate spring shape without providing the cut recess 43. Thus, the hook protrusion 44 may be elastically deformable.

The protrusions 46 which are mounted on top surfaces of the protruding jaws 37 are respectively disposed on outer upper ends of the front and rear surfaces of the internal case 33. The protrusion 46 is mounted on the protruding jaw 37 to prevent the internal case 33 from being completely separated from the storage space 32S of the external case 32.

In this embodiment, in case that the storage spaces 32S and 33S of external case 32 and the internal case 33 completely overlaps, the ice bank 30 has an ice storage capacity corresponding to a capacity of the storage space 33S of the internal case 32. In case that the storage space 32S of the internal case 33 is completely spaced from the storage space 33S of the external case 32, the ice bank 30 has an ice storage capacity corresponding to the sum of the capacities of the storage spaces 33S and 33S of the internal case 32 and the external case 33.

Hereinafter, various states of the ice storage capacity according to an embodiment will be described.

FIGS. 4 to 6 are views illustrating various states of the ice storage capacity of the ice bank according to a preferred embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, in case that a small amount of the ice cubes is required, the internal case 33 is mounted inside the storage space 32S thereof to overlap the internal case 33 with the external case 32. For this, the hook protrusion 44 is mounted on the hook recess 36 which is disposed at a highest position among the plurality of hook recesses 36. An ice storage capacity of the ice bank 30 is substantially the same as that of the storage space 33S of the internal case 33.

Referring to FIG. 5, to increase the ice storage capacity of the ice bank 30, the internal case 33 is pull in a downward direction with respect to the external case 32. The internal case 33 is moved with respect to the external case 32 to elastically deform the protruding arm 42 in a moment, thereby separating the hook protrusion 44 from the hook recess 36. Thereafter, the hook protrusion 44 is mounted on a different hook recess 36 adjacent to the separated hook recess 36. Therefore, the internal case 33 is moved with respect to the external case 32 by a distance at which the hook protrusion 44 is moved between the hook recesses 36. The storage space of the ice bank 30 increases corresponding to a distance at which the internal case 33 is moved with respect to the external case 32.

Referring to FIG. 6, to further increase the ice storage capacity of the ice bank 30 compared to that of the ice bank of FIG. 5, the internal case 33 is further pull in the downward direction with respect to the external case 32. The hook protrusion 44 is mounted on the hook recess 36 which is disposed at a lowest position among the plurality of hook recesses 36. Therefore, the ice stage capacity of the ice bank 30 approximately corresponds to the sum of the capacities of the storage spaces 33S and 33S of the internal case 33 and the external case 32. While a detailed description is not given in the present specification, in case that a small amount of ice cubes is required, the capacity of the ice bank 30 may decrease, and a storage space of the refrigerator may increase to use the storage space for other purposes.

The embodiment may be embodied in many different forms by those who intend to infringe scope of the present disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described below.

The guide slot 35 and the guide rib 41 may be disposed on the external case 32 and the internal case 33, respectively. On the other hand, a guide slot may be disposed on an outer surface of an internal case, and a guide rib may be disposed at a position which corresponds to the guide slot on an inner surface. Hook recesses may be disposed in both side surfaces of the guide slot. Hook protrusions may be disposed on outer surfaces of a pair of protruding arms such that the hook protrusions are mounted on the hook recesses to completely limit a movement of an internal case.

In the first embodiment, the ice maker 1 passively operates. The water freezes into the ice cubes in the ice case, and then the ice cubes is discharged into the ice bank 30 by the user. Again, the ice case is filled with water. Such processes are repeatedly performed. Therefore, it is inconvenient for the user. Although a plurality of ice makers 1 are disposed to gather a large amount of ice cubes at a time, it is also inconvenient for the user.

Hereinafter, for overcoming such inconveniences, there is proposed another embodiment.

A second embodiment of the present disclosure is identical to the first embodiment, except that an ice maker which automatically operates is installed for user convenience. Therefore, portions without specific description will cite the description of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a refrigerator in which an ice bank is emphasized according to a second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, an ice maker 2 is disposed in an upper portion of a home bar receiving space 23. The ice maker 2 automatically operates. Water supplied from the outside automatically freezes into ice cubes, and then the ice cubes is discharged. Such processes are repeatedly performed in the ice maker 2. An ice maker which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,393 applied by the present applicant of the present disclosure is applied to the ice maker 2, and descriptions for the ice maker will be quoted from that of the ice maker 2. Furthermore, an automatic ice maker having different shapes, which can automatically perform a water supply function, an ice making function, and an ice discharging function, as well as the ice maker may be also applied to various embodiments within scope of the present disclosure.

The automatic ice maker as described above includes an ice-overflow sensing lever 3. If a rotation operation of the ice-overflow sensing lever 3 is hindered due to ice cubes in an ice bank 30 which are disposed below the ice maker 2, the ice-overflow sensing lever 3 detects the fully-filled state of the ice bank 30 to stop an operation of the ice maker 2.

Meanwhile, the ice bank 30 of the embodiment is characterized in that an amount of receivable ice cubes is varied. This characteristic will now be described below.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice bank according to the second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, provided are an external case 32 and an internal case 33. A variable ice receiving space which is defined as interior spaces of the cases 32 and 33 is identical to that of the first embodiment, except that the ice receiving space according to this embodiment is automatically varied.

In detail, a rack 201 is disposed on an outer wall of the internal case 33. The external case 32 includes a motor 202 and a pinion 203. The pinion 203 disposed at a driving end of the motor 202 is engaged with the rack 201. Thus, the pinion 203 is engaged with the rack 201 to vertically move the rack 201 by a rotation of the pinion 203. That is, the internal case 33 in which the rack 201 is disposed is vertically moved by a driving force of the motor 202. The ice receiving space decreases when the internal case 33 is moved in an upward direction. The ice receiving space increases when the internal case 33 moves in a downward direction.

In this embodiment, a capacity of the ice bank 30 can be adjusted by an interaction of the rack 201, the pinion 203, and the motor 202. An ice bank capacity adjustment is the general term for these devices. Components of the ice bank capacity adjustment are not limited to a combination of the rack 201, the pinion 203, and the motor 202. A plurality of other components, which can perform the same function as the devices will be easily proposed by a person of ordinary skill in the art. However, since the ice bank capacity adjustment may be easily configured by the components described above, the ice bank capacity adjustment may be easily manufactured, and manufacturing costs of the ice bank capacity adjustment may be reduced.

Hereinafter, operations of the automatic ice maker and the ice bank capacity adjustment which are described as a main point in the second embodiment will be described with respect to their interaction.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a refrigerator according to the second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9, a refrigerator includes a control unit 100, an ice maker 101, an ice bank capacity adjustment 103, a manipulation unit 104, and an alarming unit 102. The ice maker operates under the control of the control unit 100. The ice bank capacity adjustment 103 operates under the control of the control unit 100. A user manipulates an operation of the refrigerator using the manipulation unit 104. The alarming unit 102 informs a present state of the refrigerator to the user using sound or light.

An operation of the refrigerator will now be described according to the above-described structure of the refrigerator.

An amount of ice cubes required by the user is inputted through the manipulation unit 104. The amount of ice cubes may be limited below a maximum receiving capacity of the ice bank 30. Thus, the user may do not select the capacity over the maximum receiving capacity. When the amount of ice cubes is selected, the ice maker 101 operates under the control of the control unit 100.

An operation of the ice maker 101 is repeatedly performed. When an amount of ice cubes detected by the ice-overflow sensing lever 3 exceeds a present capacity of ice cubes, the ice bank capacity adjustment 103 operates to increase the present capacity of the ice cubes by a predetermined capacity. Thereafter, the operations of the ice maker 101 and the ice bank capacity adjustment 103 are repeatedly performed. The operation of the ice maker 101 stops when the amount of ice cubes reaches a capacity which is first designated by the user. Since an amount of ice cubes required by the user is set by an amount of ice cubes made by the ice maker 101, the amount of ice cubes required by the user is precisely confirmed by the number of operations of the ice maker 101.

On the other hand, the ice bank capacity adjustment 103 may be adjusted once such that the capacity of the ice bank 30 is first adjusted once by the amount of ice cubes required by the user. In this case, the operation of the ice maker 101 may stop when the capacity of the ice bank 30 detected by the ice-overflow sensing lever 3 reaches the amount of ice cubes required by the user. The alarming unit 102 is configured to generate an alarm to inform any emergency condition to the user when malfunction occurs during the operation of the refrigerator or the amount of ice cubes required by the user reaches its maximum.

According to the second embodiment, the capacity of the ice bank 30 is automatically adjusted, and the user does not need to open the door of the refrigerator in order to supply water to the manual ice maker 1.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers the modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present disclosure, the ice storage capacity of the ice bank is varied according to a relative movement between the external case and the internal case. Therefore, since the ice storage capacity can be varied according to a required amount of ice, a sufficient amount of ice cubes can be stored to increase the user's convenience and efficiently improve the utilization of interior space of the freezer.

The user can precisely can obtain the required amount of ice cubes.

The interior space of the refrigerator can be further efficiently utilized. 

1. An ice bank comprising: an external case; and an internal case within the external case, the internal case including an interior space in communication with an interior space of the external case, wherein one of the external case and the internal case overlappingly moves toward the other case to vary an ice storage capacity.
 2. The ice bank according to claim 1, wherein the external case has a hexahedral shape in which upper and bottom surfaces are opened and the internal case has a hexahedral shape in which an upper surface is opened to allow the internal case vertically move in a state that a side of outer surfaces of the internal case are adjacent to a side of inner surfaces of the external case.
 3. The ice bank according to claim 1, wherein further comprising: guide slots vertically disposed on the inner surfaces of opposite walls of the external case; and guide ribs vertically disposed on the outer surfaces of opposite walls of the internal case such that the guide slots are guided.
 4. The ice bank according to claim 3, wherein further comprising: at least two hook recesses spaced along a length direction in the guide slots; protruding arms on the guide ribs, the protruding arms being elastically deformable in a perpendicular direction with respect to the length direction of the guide slots; and hook protrusions protruded from outer surfaces of the protruding arms, the hook protrusions being mounted on the hook recesses, selectively.
 5. The ice bank according to claim 4, wherein the guide slots are disposed between a pair of guide channels which are vertically disposed on the both inner surfaces of the external case, and the hook recesses are recessed in a side of the guide channels on which side surfaces of the guide slots are disposed.
 6. The ice bank according to claim 4, wherein the protruding arms are provided by cut recesses which are disposed in upper central portions of the guide ribs and vertically cut by a predetermined length.
 7. A refrigerator comprising: a door defining a low temperature space within the refrigerator; a home bar door provided at the door; a home bar receiving space opened and closed by the home bar door; and an ice bank within the home bar receiving space, wherein the ice bank comprising: an external case; and an internal case within the external case, wherein one of the external case and the internal case is movable with respect to the other case to vary an ice storage capacity.
 8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising a manual ice maker above the ice bank.
 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the manual ice maker is disposed inside the home bar receiving space.
 10. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein one of the external case and the internal case vertically movable within the home bar receiving space.
 11. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the ice bank further comprises an elastic hook mechanism disposed on a portion at which a wall of the internal case is adjacent to a wall of the external case.
 12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the elastic hook mechanism comprises: a guide slot vertically disposed in a direction on any one of the external case and the internal case; and a guide rib disposed on any one of the external case and the internal case, the guide rib being elastically deformable during a movement along the guide slot such that the guide rib is hung on a predetermined position of the guide slot.
 13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the elastic hook is provided on a pair of opposite walls.
 14. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising an automatic ice maker above the ice maker.
 15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the automatic ice maker is disposed outside the home bar receiving space.
 16. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a movable one of the external case and the internal case automatically moves.
 17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the ice bank comprises: a rack on the movable one of the external case and the internal case; and a motor and pinion on the other case of the external case and the internal case.
 18. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the external case is drawn in a front direction from the home bar receiving space.
 19. A refrigerator comprising: an automatic ice maker; an ice bank receiving an ice made by the automatic ice maker; an ice bank capacity adjustment adjusting an interior capacity of the ice bank; and a control unit controlling the ice bank capacity adjustment and the ice maker.
 20. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein further comprising a manipulation unit in which at least required amount of ice is inputted to transmit the inputted data to the control unit, the manipulation unit being manipulated by a user.
 21. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the ice bank comprises: an external case; and an internal case moving in a direction in the external case to vary the interior capacity receiving the ice together with the external case.
 22. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the ice bank capacity adjustment comprises: a rack provided at the internal case; a pinion within the external case, the pinion being engaged with the rack; and a motor within the external case, the motor rotating the pinion.
 23. An ice bank comprising: a first case defining a first ice receiving space; and a second case defining a second ice receiving space, wherein the second case is movable into the first case, and the second ice receiving space overlaps with the first ice receiving space to vary a total ice receiving space.
 24. The ice bank according to claim 23, wherein the first case comprises an upper opening receiving the ice and a lower opening passing through the second case, and the second case is movable in upward and downward directions.
 25. A refrigerator comprising: an ice maker; an ice bank below the ice maker, the ice bank receiving ice made by the ice maker; and an ice bank capacity adjustment adjusting an interior capacity of the ice bank to increase the capacity of the ice bank when a fully-filled state of the ice bank is detected by the ice maker. 